Dustproof toggle switch



y 1930. R. H. CUNNINGHAM 1,759,300

DUSTPROOF TOGGLE SWITCH Filed April 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l "HI" I" A May 20, 1930. R. H. CUNNINGHAM 1,759,300

I DUSTPROOF' TOGGLE SWITCH Filed April 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Cittorncg Patented May 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE].

. i p ROY HERBERT CUNNINGHAM, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO REYNOLDS SPRING COMPANI, OE JACKSON, MICHIGAN DUSTPROOE TOGGLE SWITCH Application filed Aprilj, 1928.. Serial No. 266,773.

' The invention relates to a dust-proof togv gle switch.

The object of the present invention is to i .provide for toggle switches a housing and face plate of simple, practical and comparatively inexpensive construction adapted to be molded of suitable insulating material and capable of being readily assembled ml of forming a substantially dust-tight ca ng for the toggle switch mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to pro- 1 vide a dust-proof toggle switch of this character which, when the face plate and housing are assembled, will have the binding screws located at the corners of the housing in convenient position for the .attachment of the electric wires so that it will not be necessary to separate the face plate and the housing in order to connect the switch to the wires of the circuit in which it is to be used.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and set forth in the 7 claims hereto appbnded, it being understood that various changes in the form, size, and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the inven tion or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like characters indicate corresponding parts in the several Views: i v Figure 1 is a front elevation of the face plate of the dust-proof toggle switch.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of thesame. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation showing the face plate and the housingassembled.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation ofthe housing. Fig; 5 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the face plate. t i Fig. 6 is a similar view of the housing.-

Fig. 7 is a central longitudinal sectional view. showing the face plate and housing assembled. I

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the same.-

8 Fig. 9' is an end view-of the housing.

'wall, side walls and end walls.

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view of the face plateand housing assembleda In the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the dust-proof toggle switch comprises in its construction a housing 1 con sisting of a single piece of inoldedinsulating material to which is secured a face plate 2 also consisting of a single insulatin material. Any suitable insulating material may be employed in the construction iece of molded of the housing, and the face plate, and while the fixed contacts or switch members 3 and 4 -mechanism which is contained within the casing formed by the housing 1 and the face plate 2, does not constitute, a portion of the present invention.

The housing 1, which is approximately oblong in front elevation, consists of a rear The rear wall is provided with a central lon itudinal raised section 5 of arcuate form whic merges 'into the end walls 6, which are thickened,

as clearly illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings. The side portions 7 of the rear wall have. straight rear faces which extend beyond the curved central section 5. The end walls 6, which are enlarged, are of a thickness sli htly less than the width of the side walls, an theouter or rear facev of the central section of the rear, wall merges into the rear sides of the thickened end walls 6. The rear faces of the end walls are inwardly offset from the rear faces of the side portions7 of the rear wall. I

The housing is cut-awa at the corners to "provide corner recesses 8 or the reception of v and substantially housed within the contour of the housing. The corner recesses 8 extend through the end walls and communicate with the space within the housing, which constitutes a switch receiving chamber. The end wall 6 of the housing is provided at the central section 5 of the rear wall with spaced parallel inwardly extending flanges 11 which are interposed between the inwardly extending portions of the contact plates 3 and 4 and form guides or shields for the same. The end walls are also provided with central outwardly extending lugs or enlargements 12 which reinforce the attaching portions of the housing and at the same time provide means for interlocking the housing with the face plate. The housing is provided at the said lugs with openings 13 through which pass tubular fastening devices 14. The fastening devices 14, which consist of metal tubes, constitute hollow rivets and are embedded at their outer ends as inserts in the molded material of the face plate, and in practice their inner ends 15 are spun or expanded to form heads for riveting the face plate and the housing together after the parts have been assembled. Any other suitable fastening means, however, may be employed for connecting the housing and the face plate to secure the same together to enable them to be sold and handled as a unit with the toggle switch mechanism.

The face plate caps the housing and closes the front of the same and constitutes a front wall. for the switch receiving chamber and the said face plate is provided with a central longitudinal opening 16 for the passage of the operating lever or member of the toggle switch mechanism and the end'walls of the the said flanges 18 are provided at their inher faces with terminal lugs 19 located adacent to the inner face of the face plate and forming abutments to fit against the outer.

edges of the side walls of the housing for spacing the face plate therefrom to provide the necessary space for the attachment of the switchmechanism, which in practice will be secured within the housing by the tubular fastening device. In practice the tubular fastening devices will pass through portions of the switch mechanism, which wil be securely fastened within the housing by the said fastening devices. The face .plate is preferably enlarged or thickened at 20 where thetubular fastening devices 14 are embedded in the material, and it is provided with relatively wide transverse flanges 21 spaced from the tubular fastening devices and pro- .vidcd at their inner faces with rectangular recesses 22 forming opposite shoulders and adapted to receive and engage the projecting end lugs 19 of the housing.

The relatively wide transverse form closures for the ends of the corner recesses S of the housing and assist in shielding and protecting the outer portions of the con tact plates 3 and 4 and the end flanges are spaced from the side flanges to provide the necessary intervening space for exposing the binding screws 23 of the said contact plates. The longitudinal and tra verse flanges of the face plate enable the face pla-le to cap the housing and they interlock the face plate and the housing against relative lateral and longitudinal movement, and at the same time enable the face plate to form a substantially dust-proof closure forthe housing, which, I

with the face plate, provides practicallya dust-proof toggle switch.

The face plate is provided at its ends with transverse slots 24 and is equipped at its inner face with metal plates 25 for the reception of suitable fastening devices for securing the toggle switch in position. No claim is made in the present application to this feature, as the same forms the subject matter of my co-pending application, Serial No. 229,494.

The toggle switch mechanism, the housing therefor, and the face plate, may be readily assembled, and the housing and face plate form a substantially dust-proof casing for the toggle switch.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described including a housing of molded insulating material having integral back, side and end walls and open at the front and forming a switch receiving chamber, said housing being also provided with corner recesses communicating with the switch chamber, and a face plate of molded insulating material provided at its inner face with side and end flanges fitting against the exterior of the side and end walls of the housing and spaced apart at the corner flanges 21 recesses thereof, said face plate capping the housing to form a dust-proof switch.

2. A device ofthe class described including a housing of molded insulating material open at the front and having a switch receiving chamber and provided with corner recesses communicating with the switch receiving chamber, and a face plate of molded insulating material constituting a front wall for the housing and provided with side and end flanges fitting against the exterior of the housing at the sides and ends thereof and spaced apart in the said corner recesses, the side flanges being provided at their inner faces with lugs forming abutinents for the side edges of the housing.

ing a housing of molded insulating material having a switch receiving chamber and open at the front, said housing being also provided with corner recesses communicating with the switch receiving chamber, and a face plate of molded insulating material forming a front wall for the housing and having side and end flanges spaced apart at the corner recesses and fitting against the exterior of the sides and ends of the housing, whereby the face plate is adapted to cap the housing,'said end flanges and housing being provided with interfitting interlocking portions adapted to hold the face plate and the housing against relative lateral and longitudinal movement.

4. A device of the class described, including a housing of molded insulating material having a switch receiving chamber and open at the front, said housing being also provided with corner recesses communicating with the switch receiving chamber, and a face plate of molded insulating material forming a front wall for the housing and having side and end flanges spaced apart at the corner recesses and fitting against the exterior of the sides and ends of the housing,'whereby the face plate is adapted to cap the housing, said housing being provided with projecting end lugs and the end flanges having recesses at their inner faces receiving the said lugs to interlock the housing and the-face plate.

5. A device of the class described, including a housing of molded insulating material having a switch receiving chamber and open at the front, said housing being provided with projecting end lugs, and a face plate of molded insulating material provided with side and end flanges and capping the housing exteriorly of the sides and ends of the same, the end flanges being provided at their inner faces with recess receiving the said lugs and interlocking the face plate and the housing.

6. A device of the class described, includ ing a housing of molded insulating material having a switch receiving chamber and open at the front, said housing being provided with projecting end lugs, and a faceplate of molded insulating material provided with side and end flangesand capping the housing exterihousing and the face plate, and fastening devices carried by the face plate and connected with the housing at the said lugs. g

8. A device of the class described, including a housing of molded insulating material having a switch receiving chamber and open at the front and provided with corner recesses, said housing being also provided with projecting lugs, a face plate of molded insulating material provided with end flanges fitting against the exterior of the ends of the housing and having recesses at their inner faces receiving the said lugs to interlock the housing and the face plate, and tubular fastening devices embedded at their outer ends in the face plate and piercing the housing at the said lugs and securing the face plate and the housing together. I

9. A device of the class described, including a housing of molded insulating material provided with a switch receiving chamber and having a raised central section provided at the ends with inwardly projecting side flanges, said housing being also provided with corner recesses, and a face plate of molded insulating material forming a closure for the housing and capping the same exteriorly thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ROY HERBERT CUNNINGHAM.

orly of the sides and ends thereof, the end flanges being relatively Wide and provided With recesses'to receive the said lugs and the side flanges being relatively narrow and having lugs at their inner faces forming abutments for the housing. k

'Z. A device of the class described, including a housing of molded insulating material having a switch receiving chamber and open at the front and provided with corner recesses, said housing being also provided with projecting lugs, a face plate of molded insulating material provided with end flangesfitting against the exterior of the ends of the housing and having recesses at theirinner faces receiving the said lugs to interlock the 

